Refrigeration



u 1945' D. H. JENSEN ET AL 2,381,567

REFRIGERATION Filed Oct. 25, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 .DCTIZ HZ. (l men Hc Trmcrz-z,

I D. H. L. JENSEN ET AL REFRIGERATION Filed Oct. 23, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lllllllllllllllllllll 1 Patented Aug, 7, 1945 REFRIGERATION Dan E. L. Jensen and Emil Harman, Philadelphia,

Radio and Televislp assignors, by meme assignments, to Phllco Corporation, Philadelphia,

Pa., a corporation of Delaware Application October 23, 1943, Serial No. 507,432

6 Claims.

This invention relates to new and usefulimprovements in refrigeration, and more particularly' pertains to ice cube forming units especially adaptable to refrigerator cabinets having freezing compartments of the top access or well type.

In refrigerator cabinets of the type mentioned, the provision of means for forming ice cubes has met with certain problems and has given rise to numerous objections, not merely from the standpoint of manufacture, but also from the standpoint of practical usage. Heretofore it has been customary to mount within the freezing well of such a refrigerator cabinet one or more shelves for the support of conventional ice trays. However, an arrangement of this kind is objectionable because of the difficulties experienced in placing or removing the ice trays due to the restricted area available for that purpose. Moreover, the provision of shelves in a well-type freezing compertinent deprives such compartment of considerable space with the result that the number of trays which may be used for freezing asupply of cubes at one time must, of necessity, be restricted to an extent that it is quite often impossible to ordinary demum, thereby permitting the use of a number of such units suillcient to produce enough cubes to satisfy ordinary requirements without cramming the available space.

Another important object of the invention resides in the provision of ice cube forming units capable of convenient arrangement within a welltype freezing compartment so that any one unit may easily be removed from and replaced into the compartment without disturbing or interfering with other units positioned within said compartment. i

Still another equally important object of the invention resides in the provision of ice cube forming units, each having a plurality of cube molding members carried by a single supporting means in such a manner that the ice cubes in one member may be removed without effect on the ice cubes in the remaining members of the same unit, thereby permitting a relatively small number of ice cubes to be obtained without disturbing the whole content of the unit.

The invention is particularly characterized by the provision of a plurality of ice cube molding members carried by a support common to all of said members in such manner that the latter will automatically assume an upright side-by-side relationship when the support is held in a generally horizontal position so that filling of the members with water for freezing into ice cubes may readily be accomplished and will automatically assume an upright superimposed relationship when the support is held in a generally vertical position for introduction and suspension of the waterfllled members as a unit in a well-type freezing compartment.

The invention is further characterized by the provision of a series of ice cube molding members separately suspended on a support common to all of said members so that each member may be handled individually for removal of the frozen ice cubes therefrom or for refilling with water to be frozen into ice cubes.

Other objects and characteristic features of the invention as well as the details of construction and arrangement thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art, from the following description based upon the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the improved ice cube unit in use with a work height refrigerator cabinet having a well-type freezing compartment Figure 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view on a greatly reduced scale, taken through the refrigerator cabinet;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of an ice cube tray unit constructed in accordance with this invention, and showing the same in one of its positions;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, but showing the unit in another one of itspositions; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of one of the ice molding members of the ice cube tray unit.

Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to Figures 1 and 2 thereof, reference numeral l0 designates a refrigerator cabinet of the work-height type comprising wall and base portions insulated in accordance with conventional practice, and including a relatively deep lower refrigerated section l2 and a relatively shallow upper refrigerated section I 4. A flat surface IG extends outwardly of the shallow upper section II and covers the top portion of the deep lower section l2 in front of said upper section It to provide a work-table for the convenience of the user.

The lower refrigerated section I 2 of the cabinet opens at the front and is provided with a door or closure I5 hinged at its lower edge, as indicated at lie, so that said door may be dropped or swimg downwardly for access into said section II. On the other hand, the upper refrigerated section It opens at the top, and is provided with a lid or closure [1 hinged at the back as indicated at ilsothatsaidlidmaybeliftedupfor access into two reach-in" areas is and 10. As shown, these areas is and are defined by a separating wall II which, if desired, may be extended into the lower refrigerator section If, thus dividing the latter into two areas, one of which communicates with area II and the other of which communicates with area ll. One of the areas in the lower section I! may constitute a moist-cold food storage compartment, which may be readily provided, for example, by isolating said one area and providing cooling means therefor operating at temperatures slightly above freezing. Shelves, suchasshownat llinriguremmaybesuitably arranged in the lower section II to support foodstuif therein in the usual manner.

The lowermost area II of the lower section it of the cabinet is preferably separated from the main area 24 thereof by means of a wall II having relatively slight insulating efl'ect. Moreover, in practice, the area 23 and area 24 are subdivided by insulated walls is and 21 to form a back chamber a which is entirely insulated ex cept for a portion at the rear of the cabinet left open for the introduction, servicing and maintenance of a motor-compressor unit 2! of the usual refrigerating system. The area :3 is front opening and closed by means of doors II hinged to the cabinet, as indicated at Ii, for outward swinging movement from a center position.

Arranged adiacent and about the inner wall surfaces of the area it in the uppe s c n I of the cabinet II, are the cooling coils 82 of the refrigerating system, thus forming within the reach-in" area I! of a well-type or top access freezing compartment which constitutes the freezing space of the refrigerator and accordingly, ice cubes may be produced therein. 'In addition, a container (not shown) may be placed in said space for the storage of frozen foods or the like. The area I. being next to, but separated from, the freezing space or area ll provides a convenient space for storage of bottles or unusually large and bulky articles and the area of the lower section If in direct communication with said area ll, provides a convenient space for dry-cold storage. In this event, the area of the lower section I! below the area ll may form the moist-cold space of relatively low temperature, as hereinbefore set forth.

As hereinbefore mentioned, ice cubes are to be produced within the freezing area ll having the refrigerating coil II-arranged therein. For this purpose and in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a plurality of ice cube tray units 33 constructed for insertion into said area in the manner more clearly illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings. As shown more particularly in Figure 3, each unit 33 essentially comprises a frame I of generally rectangular configuration including side portions II and end bars 36. Disposed at spaced points along the length of the side portions 85 and projecting inwardly of the frame, are sets or pairs of oppositely disposed pins 31 which are adapted for pivotal engagement with supporting means, preferably in the form of hangers 38 provided at opposite ends with ice cube molding trays-II. The pins 31 and tray hangers ll interengage one another at points located above the center of gravity of the trays II and centered with respect to the sides of said tray members so that the latter and their contents always remain in a level position, regardless of the angle at which the frame It maybeheld. Thustheframe II maybeplaced in a horisontal position, as-shown in Figure 4 of the drawings, for filling either the entire unit or a single tray member and. after filling, the

frameflmaybeplacedinaverticalpositiomas.

shown in Figure 3, for insertion into the freeaing area ll of the refrigerator cabinet ll.

Preferably, one of the end bars a which normally is the top bar of the frame II, extends beyond the sides SI of the latter as indicated at 4| so that when the frame I is inserted into the freezing area ll, said portions II will rest upon a supporting ledge in the cabinet structure, as illustrated, for example, in Figures 1 and 2.

Eachofthetraymembersllisofelongated shapehavingalengthslightlylessthanthe distance between the opposite side portions ll of to define ice cube forming sections 42.

Inusingtheicecuhetrayunitittheframe 34 may readily be mpported in horizontal Dodtion, thatis,inthepositionshownin1'igm-e4 in which the ice cube tray members is automatically assume the upright side-by-side position shown so thatsaid trays may all beiilled at one time, ifduired. Theframe llthenmaybe disposedinaverticalposition,thatis,inthe positionshowninl iguresinwhichtheicecube tray members as automatcally assume the upright superimposed position shown, and trays Ilinsertedasaunitintothefreeaingareaor compartment II, the frame still being held in vertical position.

Since the ice cube tray units 38 are introduced and supportedinvertical positioninthefreeaing compartment II, it will be appreciated that said units occupy but relatively small space therein, andthatasuiiicientquantityoficecubesmay be produced at one time to satisfy ordinary demands andstillleaveamplefreespacewithin said compartment for the storage of frosen food or the like without necessitating an unduly large freezing area.

Furthermore, as the ice cube tray units 38 are supported in vertical position within compartment II by the extending portions ll of the top end from bar 38, the necessity for supporting shelves, or the like, for said units 33 within the confines of the freezing compartment II is eliminated, thereby not only conserving space within said compartment but facilitating the introduction and removal of any one of a plurality of units 33 without disturbing other units.

When it is desired to obtain ice cubes, a unit 33 may readily be lifted from the compartment is without interference with other units, and the cubes easily removed-from each tray member is of the unit. Should but a few cubes be required, the unit 32 mayberaisedpartially-outofthe compartment and only one of tray members is of the unit need be detached from the frame 34 to be emptied of its contents, whereupon the detached and emptied tray member 3! may be replenished with water and replaced on the partially withdrawn frame for reintroduction into the freezing compartment iii. In this connection, it is pointed out that the frames 34 may be so mounted as to be retained on the cabinet in but slidable thereon for movement in and out of the'freezing compartment l9 so that each tray member 39 carried thereby may be removed and replaced individually on its frame.

While ice cube tray units 33 have been shown and described herein in combination with a refrigerator cabinet provided with a well-type freezing compartment, it is to be understood that the units 33 may be used in cabinets having other types ofireezing compartment. Moreover, it is to be understood that the particular construction and arrangement of parts herein shown and described may be modified within the scope of the claims without departing from the invention.

We claim:

1. For a well-type freezing compartment, an ice forming unit adapted for introduction into and removal from said compartment, said unit comprising a substantially rectangular frame, means carried by the frame and disposed for engagement with portions of the compartment to suspend the frame substantially vertically therein, and a plurality of elongated tray-like members pivotally carried by the frame so that said tray members automatically assume an upright superimposed relationship upon placing the frame in substantially vertical position and automatically assume an upright side-by-side relationship upon placing the frame in substantially horizontal position.

2. For a well-type freezing compartment, an ice cube forming unit adapted for introduction intoand removal from said compartment, said unit comprising a substantially rectangular frame having side portions and end bars, one of said end bars having means engageable with portions of said compartment to suspend the frame substantially vertically therein, a plurality of elongated tray-like members of a size to fit between said side portions of the frame, and interengageable elements respectively carried by adiacent portions of the ends of said tray members and the side portions of said frame providing a pivotal connection therebetween 'so that said tray members automatically assume an upright superimposed relationship upon placing the frame in substantially vertical position and automatically assume an upright side-by-side relationship upon placing the frame in substantially horizontal position.

i 3. For a well-type freezing compartment of a domestic refrigerator cabinet, an ice cube forming unit adapted for introduction into and removal from said compartment, said unit comprising a substantially rectangular frame having side portions and end bars, one of said end bars extending beyond the side portions of the frame to provide means engageable with portions of the compartment to suspend the frame substantially vertically therein, sets of oppositely disposed pins projecting inwardly of the frame side portions substantially at right angles thereto. a plurality of elongated tray-like members, one for each of saidsets of pins, partitions disposed transversely in each of said tray members and positioned at paced points along the length thereof to define therefor is open.

ice cube forming sections therein, and hangers carried by the ends of each of said tray members and engageable with one of said sets of pins to provide a detachable pivotal connection therebetween so that said tray membersautomatically assume an upright superimposed relationship upon placing the frame in substantially vertical position and automatically assume an upright side-by-side relationship upon placing the frame in substantially horizontal position.

4. An ice cube forming unit comprising a substantially rectangular framehaving side portions and end bars, sets of oppositely disposed pins projecting inwardly of the frame side portions substantially at right angles thereto, an elongated tray-like member for each of said sets of pins, partitions disposed transversely in each of said members and positioned at spaced points along the length thereof to define ice cube forming sections therein, and hangers carried by the ends of each tray member engageable with one of said sets of pins to provide a detachable pivotal connection therebetween constructed and arranged so that upon placing the frame in substantially vertical position said tray members automatically assume an upright superimposed relationship and upon placing the frame in substantially horizontal position said tray members automatically assume an upright side-by-side relationship.

5. A refrigerator comprising a cabinet including a bottom compartment portionhaving back, side and front walls and a smaller upper compartment portion open at the top having back and side walls, and a front wall set back from the front wall of said bottom compartment, a closure member for the top opening of said upper compartment portion, a substantially horizontal fixed top wall overlying said bottom compartment portion forwardly of the upp r compartment front wall and providing a work-table surface, a cooling coil in said upper compartment portion extending adjacent and along the walls of at least a part thereof, and an ice cube forming unit supported within said cooling coil and removable therefrom through the top opening of said upper compartment portion of the cabinet when the closure member therefor is open.

6. A refrigerator comprising a cabinet including a bottom compartment portion having back,

side and front walls and a smaller upper compartment portion open at the top having back and side walls, and a front wall set back from the front wall of said bottom compartment, a closure member for the top opening of said upper compartment portion, a substantially horizontal fixed top wall overlying said bottom compartment portion forwardly of the upper compartment front wall and providing a work-table surface, a cooling coil in said'upl r compartment portion extending adjacent and along the walls of at least a part thereof, and an ice cube forming unit comprising a frame and ice trays carried thereby suspended within said cooling coil by engagement of a portion of said frame with a surface of the cabinet upper compartment portion, said unit being insertable in and removable from said upper compartment respectively by lowering and raising said unit vertically through the top opening of the said upper compartment when the closure DAN H. L. JENSEN. EMIL HARMAN. 

